Reader By The Water

06/04/2026

I had a thought.

Instagram is a dog. Feed it, show up consistently, give it attention — and it loves you back with its whole heart. Miss a few days and it acts like you’ve been gone for years. Loyal.

Facebook is a cat. You do everything right. You optimize, you boost, you ask the perfect question at the perfect time. It stares at you from across the room and begins grooming itself.

And yet. ONE random post — no strategy, no effort — and suddenly it’s in your lap purring like you’re its favorite person.
Never repeatable. Never explainable.
Toxic behavior.

(Substack is a houseplant. Low drama. Long game. We love her for it.)

If you’re a fellow creator, you already know which platform has you in a chokehold.

Drop it in the comments — we’re commiserating together today. 👇

06/03/2026

I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD by John Kenney 🎧

Reviews for this one were a bit divisive, and I completely understand why.

It’s part buddy comedy, part existential spiral, part grief novel, and packed with extremely deadpan humor about death. That combination is either going to click instantly for you…or absolutely not.

For me? It worked completely.

I laughed out loud multiple times, then made the mistake of listening while putting on makeup and had to stop because I was suddenly crying into a handheld fan.

Bud accidentally writes and publishes his own drunken obituary on his company’s internal news portal. HR can’t quite figure out how to fire a dead employee, so he’s pushed into an accidental sabbatical. Alongside his best friend Tim and a stranger-turned-friend named Clara, he starts attending funerals and wakes for people they never knew, trying to figure out what actually makes a meaningful life.

The humor here reminded me of those memes where men explain they show affection by relentlessly insulting each other. The friendship dynamic felt incredibly real to me. Underneath all the sarcasm and absurdity, there’s so much tenderness.

And Tim may have been my favorite character. Quietly insightful, deeply lonely, always gathering creative people who need somewhere to belong.

This book could have easily tipped too far into navel-gazing existential angst, but somehow it stayed grounded in humanity and connection instead.

The audiobook narrator was the perfect match for the material, too. Very dry, understated delivery that made both the humor and emotional moments land harder.

I laughed often, cried openly, and completely understood the wavelength this book was operating on.

Not for everyone. Very much for me.

If your book club appreciates quirky, wordy humor with a strong grief-and-meaning-of-life thread, this would make a fantastic discussion pick.

Serve with good NYC pizza.

QOTD: Do you ever read the obituaries?

(And not just for apartment listings like Harry in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.)

06/03/2026

Ya'll - Kindle Unlimited is free for three months right now (link below) AND our June Literary Lagniappe book, BEL CANTO, is on Kindle Unlimited. (In other words, you could read it for free.) Just remember to cancel after your three months are up (unless you love it).

Join Kindle Unlimited to unlock a seamless digital reading experience with unlimited access to popular series, best sellers, classics, and more.

06/02/2026

Is your book club in the mood for:

Unhinged and Violent Women?

Because I have recommendations.

Today’s Book Club Recommendation is MARIAN by Leah Rowan. (Thanks to .Audio for the gifted audiobook. )

Honestly, I didn’t think this was my genre…until I realized my book club has already enjoyed several books living in this exact neighborhood:

THE COLLECTIVE
THE CHANGE
THE SAVAGE, NOBLE DEATH OF BABS DIONNE

(And while we didn’t read THE POWER together, I have a strong suspicion we would have had THOUGHTS.)

MARIAN is a reimagining of Psycho where Marion Crane doesn’t die prettily in the shower. She fights back.

Surprise, Norman.

The audiobook uses dual narrators for Marian and Hannah, a private investigator trying to piece together what actually happened, and it works really well for the story.

Book club discussion potential:
• expectations placed on women
• how quickly circumstances spiral out of control
• whether thrillers actually need realistic forensic details to be satisfying

And whatever you serve for dinner, make sure there’s ketchup involved.

Possibly an alarming amount of ketchup.

(If your club prefers “unhinged women” with less actual murder, YESTERYEAR would also be an excellent choice.)

06/01/2026

May was a strong reading month, and one book stood above the rest.

THE FOURSOME by is everything I want from historical fiction — emotionally complex and morally rich with lots to discuss. Based on the real-life Bunker twins, it follows two sisters who marry conjoined brothers in the American South. Literary Lagniappe Book Club already has it on the list for next year. Thank you .

The rest of May’s stack had some real highlights, too. TAKE ME WITH YOU, DOLLY ALL THE TIME, and MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVE all earned a “loved-it” from me. I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD, FAMILY OF SPIES, MARION, and THE SHIPPERS also delivered: good characters, good momentum, books I’m glad I read. AMERICAN RAMBLER and CERTAINTY were solid reads that just didn’t quite land for me the way I hoped.

And yes, one DNF. Sometimes a book and a reader just aren’t in the right place for each other.

What did you read in May? Drop a title below — I’m always looking for what’s next.

05/31/2026

I asked the internet for earbud recommendations, and you all delivered. Comments, DMs, even my 25-year-old daughter who normally just lurks appeared in my inbox.

Here’s what actually happened: I took all your advice, did the research… and bought these. (Cue Ross Geller - PIVOT!)

Over-ear hearing protection headphones. For yardwork. They are gloriously, unapologetically geeky.

Turns out one DM about hearing damage sent me down a rabbit hole, and I realized I didn’t need better earbuds. I need to protect my hearing so I can keep listening to audiobooks for the next 40 years.

Current yard setup:
☀️ UV protection
🌿 pollen protection
👂 hearing protection
📚 audiobook protection (non-negotiable)

Audiobooks have officially reached lifestyle status.

What’s the nerdiest thing you’ve fully embraced because it just made sense?

05/30/2026

Do you ever read the ending first?

No judgment here — I genuinely want to know. I will absolutely suffer through 400 pages of dread rather than peek, but I know some of you are out there flipping to the last page before you’ve even cracked chapter one.

So tell me — are you a “trust the process” reader or a “I just need to know everyone survives” reader? Drop your answer below ⬇️

05/29/2026

If a book can make me laugh and cry on the same page, sometimes the same paragraph, it’s probably going to end up on my favorites shelf.

And if you love that kind of story too, you’re probably my kind of person.

My best friend Amy and I loved the movie Steel Magnolias for its “laughter through tears” philosophy. Loved it so much that watching it with us was annoying because we recited every line. We slipped references into texts and letters for years.

I loved her more than my luggage.

I even quoted the movie in her eulogy:
“She will always be young. She will always be beautiful.”

This weekend marks the anniversary of losing her in 2019. Amy was bright, fierce, beautiful, brilliant, sensitive, tough, and unbelievably funny. “Fiercely funny” is still the highest compliment I know how to give a person or a book.

So today I’m sharing a few books that gave me that same laughter-through-tears feeling. The kind that crack your heart open and somehow make you laugh while they’re doing it.

• MY FRIENDS
• THE OTHER SIDE OF NOW
• THE GUNCLE
• WE ALL WANT IMPOSSIBLE THINGS
• THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT

Those of us who loved Amy are celebrating her the same way we always do: telling stories, repeating her best lines, laughing until we cry, and probably raising a glass of the butteriest Chardonnay (or highest-quality vodka) we can find.

I miss her every single day.

What books would you add to this list?

05/28/2026

"Books are a word-of-mouth product like nothing else." Ann Patchett

05/27/2026

I'm so excited for this creative series at Natchitoches Picnic Company!

This summer, we’re gathering around the table to create.

We are so excited to introduce the Creative Table Summer Series — a weekly collection of hands-on creative experiences designed to bring people together through art, craft, conversation, and beautiful evenings shared in community.

Beginning Wednesday, June 3 and continuing through July 29, each workshop will feature guided instruction from talented artists and makers, all materials included, and a thoughtfully hosted evening complete with light refreshments.

Whether you come with friends or arrive solo, these evenings are meant to feel welcoming, inspiring, and joyfully creative.

This summer’s creative lineup so far:

https://www.natchitochespicnicco.com/upcoming-events

Keep your eyes peeled and start calling your crew to plan your night out. I have several more fun ideas in the works that will be rolling out on our Upcoming Events page throughout the week! 👀

Seating is intentionally limited to keep each gathering intimate and hands-on, and several workshops are expected to fill quickly (I’m personally looking forward to the shell wreath class the week of Fourth of July!)

We cannot wait to create with you this summer.

-Laurie & the NPC Team